This invention relates generally to window winding apparatus for use in vehicles such as automobiles or the like, and specifically pertains to window winding apparatus for achieving a sliding upwardly-downwardly opening and closing action of two adjacent window panes by a common drive wherein one pane is a relatively small ventilating window and the other pane is a larger viewing window, and the ventilating window is adapted to be moved first during the opening operation and to lag behind the movement of the viewing window during closing.
The provision of a slidable ventilating window instead of the more conventional front, generally triangular, window which is adapted to swing on a generally vertical axis, enables effective ventilation of a vehicle interior in modern vehicle body shapes having steeply sloping windshields wherein triangular swingout windows are not generally compatible with the overall body design.
The provision of a slidable ventilating window results in adjacent slidable panes which may be considered as a window subdivided along a generally vertical line. This general arrangement is already known in the prior art in various forms. Known apparatus for actuating and controlling the sliding action of the panes in such an arrangement provide the advantage of actuating both the ventilating pane and a viewing pane quite conveniently by means of a single control system. Usually, a sequence of motion is provided which enables an initial advancement opening motion of the ventilating window while the viewing window remains initially stationary before commencing its own opening sliding motion. By contrast, in actuating the panes to close, the viewing window is slid closed first before the ventilating window is actuated to slide toward its closed position. By virtue of this operational arrangement, depending upon the direction of operation of the window winding apparatus, it is possible to adjust the ventilating pane to provide a ventilating gap without moving the viewing pane, or, upon closure of the viewing pane, the operation of the winding mechanism can be halted at the proper time to leave the ventilating pane in a position which establishes a ventilating gap.
Known apparatus or mechanisms for accomplishing the afore-described window winding sequence are structurally complicated, requiring a significantly large number of parts, some of which are of very complicated shape. In one such window winding mechanism, disclosed in German Pat. No. 2,139,086, two hinge-connected drive arms are provided, each of which is associated with one of the two slidable panes. The drive arms are connected to a number of drive members, such as guide rods, control rods, guide bars, articulations and bolting elements. The manufacture and assembly of this complicated apparatus is therefore correspondingly expensive. Other known window winding mechanisms of the type heretofore discussed are disclosed in German Offenlegungsschriften Nos. 2,241,931; 2,253,021; 2,405,881; 2,405,550; 2,419,343 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,782,037 and 3,816,961. The winding mechanisms disclosed in these patents are all of a construction commonly known in the art as arm lifters and are believed to share the characteristics of a complicated and expensive construction.
The present invention comprehends the provision of a window winding apparatus of the general type discussed heretofore but wherein the desired sequence of movement is obtained in a functionally reliable matter with comparatively structurally simplified means.